Battle of the Ancient Tribes
by JenFoxworth
Summary: Shadow has found that the Mayan echidnas were not the only ones to be an ancient race. The Longears were once allied with the Knuckles tribe, but now share a rivalry of hatred, will it lead to their destruction once more?


Shadow was alone in the darkened cell, deep in the bowels of the government laboratory. Chained by his arms, legs, and neck to the wall by titanium-reinforced chains and electric chips, the dark hedgehog recalled how he had ended up down here. Had it not been just four months ago that he had been free in the world above? He did not know, he had lost track of time, but knew that he had been inside the base for at least three months.

Back before, when he was unhindered by the now painful rubbing chains that cut into his limbs, he had been standing upon a hilltop, contemplating what he should do now that he had destroyed the Black Arms. He had watched the sunset that evening, in awe of its beauty, then rested against a tree, falling asleep. While he slumbered, the government forces of GUN slipped up, having been waiting for this chance. Even though he had saved the planet, they still believed that he was too powerful to just let loose. They disabled him and brought him to the lab. They had taken his shoes and his gloves, knowing that they had been made specially, and could aid him in escape.

Trying to use sedatives and drugs to calm him, they attempted various experiments upon his body, all ending in painful failure due to the powerful hedgehog's struggles. After the third month, an incident occurred where Shadow nearly escaped, and it settled the matter. For how long they had left him down here, only coming in to inject a nutrition liquid into him to keep him alive, he did not know. He had given up counting the days, and was beginning to lose hope.

Shadow sighed, letting his ears droop in sadness. This room he was in was dark and cold, and no light could be seen coming from anywhere; it was pitch black. Surely it was not meant to be this way, when he had first been created, the professor and most of the staff aboard the ARK had treated him as a person, they had never done anything this horrible.

Suddenly, he remembered something Maria had told him not too long before the incident that resulted in her death. She had said to never give up, because to give up was to give in, and no matter how bad things seemed, it was never over unless you lost all hope.

Shadow drew himself up, determined more than ever to escape. The guard with his serum needle would be coming down soon, and already his weary mind was forming a plan. He couldn't move hardly anything, but could twist his head sideways. The guard that had been coming down was the same one he always had, and at first he had talked to him a bit, but had stopped after a while of getting no response except for an extremely pitiful look of angst.

If Shadow pretended he was asleep, which half the time he was, the guard might become less cautious, as he had already been doing, and get near enough for Shadow to bite him. If he could get a hold of him, he could easily maneuver the guard so that he could reach the ignition lock for his chains that were on his belt. He knew the code, he watched him punch it in everyother day.

Shadow heard the bolts on the cell door sliding open, and knew that it was time. If he failed, they would never make the mistake to assume he was weak again, and he probably wouldn't have another chance to get away. As he suspected, his guard thought he was sleeping, and casually pulled out the needle and began preparing it. Shadow suppressed a shudder at the sight of it, he had felt so many different kinds of needles and chemicals being forced into him in the last months that he had begun to fear them.

"Poor 'edgehog, not like he did anythin' wrong... But me jobs me job, and there isn't nothin' I can do 'bout it..." the guard mumbled in a heavy accent, as Shadow watched him from just under his eyelids. The soldier was careless, and Shadow felt an overwhelming sympathy for him as he carried out his plan.

Upon his chains being released from the wall, he clubbed the guard over the head lightly, just enough to knock him out. Shadow quickly realized that he would not be able to take the chains off that were connecting his arms together, nor the ones on his legs. This was a great hindrance, as he had hoped to use his speed to get away. This idea was dashed, as he could not run like this. Suddenly, Shadow remembered that this building had small transports for cargo that were set up by rails. He could use these by doubling his arm chains over and grinding, as long as the rail went downhill. The black hedgehog left the room, aware that it would not take long for GUN to learn of his escape.

He managed to get to the front gates without being spotted, but from there on, it was an open field, leading to a forest. The meadow was large, large enough so that he would easily be seen and recaptured. Then, he saw a truck being loaded by two men, preparing to leave the lab. The first human stayed in the cab of the truck while the other one loaded, talking through a walki-talkie to his partner. This would be easy, Shadow thought, sneaking up and hitting the second man in the head, rendering him unconscious. He quickly dragged the human out of sight, then picked up the walkie-talkie.

"We all loaded up, Tom?" it said, then waited for an answer. Shadow lowered his voice, giving it a gruff sound.

"All set, just one more box, then you go." He turned and climbed into the truck, slamming the doors behind him. The vehicle started up, and passed through the laboratory's gates.

Shadow relaxed, trying to calm himself. Then wondered if they had found the soldier in his cell yet. At that moment, he heard a siren wail in the distance from the lab. On the radio in the cab, Shadow listened with his ear pressed to the wall as they ordered the truck to turn around. Shadow felt a panic beginning to well up in his chest, but he pushed it down, knowing that he had to do something, and fast.

The truck was practically on the edge of the forest, and as it turned, Shadow slipped out of its back unnoticed, stumbling into the safety of the dark woods. The chains on his feet caused him to lose his balance more than once, and slowed him down, but nevertheless, he forced his way deeper into the trees, until it was night and the forest was so thick that he could see hardly nothing.

He sat down and leaned against a tree, exhausted, the heavy chains of his torture clinking everytime he moved. They had been left on for so long that the fur under them had been worn away, and the cuts they had caused in his skin had become infected. Every movement he made brought him pain, and he winced as he laid down, listening to the comforting sounds of the night as he fell asleep.

The hedgehog awoke about four hours later to the sound of voices not too far off in the forest. He recognized them immediately as GUN soldiers, and stood up. He couldn't hide, they were scouring every tree and bush, he could hear the helicopters flying above the tree line. As he saw the beams of flashlights suddenly shine in his face, he blinked, momentarily blinded by the brightness.

The soldiers charged at him, trying to catch him off guard. Shadow reacted quickly however, rolling under their legs and snatching a gun from a belt. He tumbled into a bush, watching as the troops dispersed in different directions to search for him. He laid in the undergrowth, unmoving until the voices and lights died farther and farther away.

He stood with the pistol and glanced around. The forest had fogged, and the soldiers were long gone, leaving behind broken branches and footprints in the dirt. It began to rain as Shadow looked at the gun in his hand, knowing they would be back.

After staring at it for a moment, he trembled and pressed the muzzle of the weapon to his own temple, his finger on the trigger. Now, he could end it now, he thought, closing his eyes. The pain, the suffering, the angst, all he had to do was twitch his finger and it would all be over. The grief-stricken hedgehog knelt in the mud, tears flowing down his face.

Shadow was just beginning to put pressure on the trigger, when he felt a hand gently pull the gun away from his head. He looked up, and saw a dark female rabbit standing next to him. She put a hand on his shoulder and lowered the weapon, shaking her head sadly. With her hand over his, she placed it on the ground, then sighed as he let go of it.

Who was she, and how did she get here? She wore garments similar to those of Tikal and the Ancient Maya Echidnas, but if she was from there than she was a long way from home. And furthermore, why did she stop him from committing suicide? He wanted to rest, he wanted it all to end.

She offered him a hand, and he took it, pulling him to his feet. He looked back at the gun on the ground, then at her again. The grey-black rabbit shook her head again, then turned and gave a slight tug on his arm, urging him to come with her. Shadow took one last glance at the gun and then followed her.

She was gentle with him, and matched his painstakingly slow pace, helping him along through the darkness. They traveled throughout the night, dawn just beginning to come as Shadow fell, unable to go further from lack of rest, food and the burning infection in his limbs. He laid in the dirt, caked with mud and weary. He could feel sleep coming, even as he tried to get up again. To his suprise, the dark rabbit gently pressed him back down, stroking his face. She ran her hands over the manacles on his wrists, now swollen and inflamed with burning pain. The hedgehog fell into unconsciousness as she caressed his arms, humming a slow and soft tune.

When Shadow awoke, he found himself lying in a soft hammock bed covered with a feathered blanket; the sunlight brightening the room of the hut he was in from a small window. He had been cleaned up, and felt well rested.

He laid there for another moment, gathering his thoughts, when he shifted his arms and to his suprise, didn't feel the heavy chains on his wrists. He pulled them out from under the covers to find the manacles gone, replaced with bandages over his hands and wrists. He sat up and let his feet dangle, and saw that his ankles also were wrapped with tender care. Gingerly, he put his feet on the floor, testing them to see if they would hold him up. Wincing as the pain shot up his legs, he tried over and over again, until he could stand.

As he stood, the grey rabbit-girl walked in, and seeing Shadow on his feet, ran over and immediately pushed him back into the bed shaking her head fiercely. She turned and gave a short whistle, and another rabbit came in, this one older and a light purple color. The lavender rabbit walked over and looked at the grey, who gave another series of short whistles.

The elder turned back to Shadow, and said something in Spanish to him. He looked at her in confusion, and tilted his head. The black hedgehog couldn't understand them, definitely not the hums and whistles, and surely not Spanish. The rabbits both shook their heads, and no matter how hard he tried to convince them to let him get up, they wouldn't allow it.

To Shadow's suprise, the GUN soldiers did not find him over the next few months that he stayed with the pair of rabbits. He had found out after some strained communication, that their names were Luna and Mayra, Luna was the elder's daughter, and they had been living here in a small hut in the deep forest for many years.

Shadow was able to find out little else, but passed his time of being trapped healing in his bed by learning to play one of their flutes. Luna had removed his hand bandages after just a week, but had shown him that his feet would take far longer to heal. They taught him many tunes on it, and indicated their names whenever possible. His favorite was the 'Moon Song', which they encouraged him to play on nights that there was a full moon in the sky. They indicated that it would bring good luck, and he began to play it even when it was daylight.

The dark hedgehog found that he enjoyed staying with them, even though he couldn't walk, they kept him company, and even tried to talk to him. Shadow would say things back to them, even though they couldn't understand, but usually they could sense the emotion in his voice, and could tell how he was feeling. They cared for him, and fed him on a fruit and vegetable diet, as they themselves, and were excellent cooks.

After two months with Luna and Mayra, Shadow woke up one morning to find Luna standing by his hammock. She was a strange rabbit, even stranger than her mother, as she hadn't said a word the whole time Shadow had been around her, communicating in whistles and hums. The dark hedgehog was grateful that she had found him that night when she did, if she hadn't, he would surely be dead.

He sat up and looked at her questioningly as she took a step forward and seated herself next to him. The grey rabbit whistled softly, sadly, and looked at the floor. Shadow thought for a moment and finally understood. His ankles were nearly healed, and soon he would be able to walk again. She was sad because he would be leaving soon, and she liked him. He saw the tears in her eyes and a thought crossed his mind, liked him, or did she love him?

Shadow lifted her chin up so they were looking into each other's eyes, and saw that his suspicions were correct. Luna whistled again, softer then he had ever heard before, and put a hand to his chest. The hedgehog put his hand on her shoulder, and it was all she needed. She snuggled herself to him, pressing her face to his chest and sobbing. He gently pulled her away for a moment, then felt her body give a violent shudder as he touched his lips to hers. Luna seemed in shock for couple seconds, but she needed no more after that, and the girl returned his kiss passionately.

Later that day, Mayra removed the bandages on his feet, and he saw that they were completely healed. He looked at Luna, who left the room in tears, disappearing into the forest. Shadow attempted to stand, but his legs were weak from being unused, and it took him a couple minutes before he could walk.

Mayra handed him a small pack of food and went back to doing her chores, but he could see the sadness in her eyes. The dark hedgehog tapped her, and as she turned shoved the bag back into her hands and shook his head. She stared at him, confused. "I want to stay here!" he said, and gestured to the small hut. It took her a moment, but when she realized what he meant, she smiled happily.

Nodding, she went outside and gave out a shrill note on her whistle. After a couple minutes, Luna appeared, and when she heard what her mother said, she leapt into Shadow's arms again, kissing him even harder than she had earlier in the morning.

That night, as Shadow admired the white paint on his quills, new sandals and bracelets that they had given him, he noticed that his two friends were conversing rapidly together, as if they were planning something. He tilted his head questioningly and asked them what it was. Mayra tried to explain, drawing figures in the dirt with a stick. From what Shadow gathered, they wanted him to travel with them to look for their tribe. They had been afraid to go alone, but with him with them, they were willing to try. For so long they had been away from their village, since Luna was a baby.

Originally, Luna's father had been with them when they had left to look for a magical gem, said to contain the power of Chaos, but he had gotten into a fight with the Maya Echidnas, and was killed. Shadow knew what gem they were talking about, and he also knew who the Maya Echidnas were. They were of Knuckles' tribe, and he was their soul guardian of the Master Emerald. This would have happened before Knuckles became the guardian, when Chaos was rampant in the tribe. Shadow nodded surely, it was the least he could do, and they had saved his life.

They were traveling in the forest, and the trees were thinning. They stepped out into a clearing, and were immediately surrounded by GUN troops. They pointed their guns at Shadow, and watched him fearfully.

"Surrender, and you will not b-be harmed!" a soldier said, knowing how powerful the hedgehog was. So, they knew I was somewhere in those woods the whole time, thought Shadow, they just didn't know where! He glanced at Luna and Mayra, who were huddled behind him fearfully.

How am I going to get out of this one, he thought. He was soon answered, as Knuckles and a bunch of other face-painted echidnas leapt out and started attacking the troops. In the chaos, the guards didn't dare fire in fear of shooting their own, and fled.

Knuckles stood in front of Shadow with his chief, glaring. Since he had found his tribe, he had painted himself like them and learned their language and it suprised him to see Shadow dressed in a similar manner.

"What are you doing here, Shadow?! And why are you with those Longears?!" he said, spitting the last remark. It was obvious that the Ancient Maya Echidnas didn't like the Maya Longears, and it looked like Mayra and Luna both knew it. They were holding onto Shadow fearfully, trembling. The black hedgehog returned the Chief's look of loathing before he spoke.

"I am with Mayra and Luna to help them find their tribe. I met them while running from GUN, and if they hadn't found me, I would have been dead!" he said, noticing the angry looks the red echidnas around them were giving them.

"I see... But that doesn't explain why you look like them!" said Knuckles, his anger being replaced with confusion. Apparently he had forgiven them, but it didn't seem like any of the other echidnas were, including the Chief. I'm gonna have to talk to Knuckles about who he chooses to hang around, thought Shadow.

Luna whistled fearfully behind his back, and saw that one of the echidnas was poking her with a stick. The hedgehog grabbed the stick and hit him on the head. "Leave her alone!" he said, and when he turned back Knuckles was still watching him.

"We know you have an emerald Shadow, give it!" the echidna said. Shadow shook his head,

"I wish, then I could teleport away from you weirdoes..." he said, angering the tribe further.

"You don't have it? Well see ya later then." Knuckles turned to leave, but his tribe didn't follow him, they kept glaring at the hedgehog and rabbits angrily.


End file.
